A common problem with sliding door assemblies in which normally one or more panels are moveable and one or more panels are fixed is that wind loads often cause one sliding door to separate from another sliding door, or from the side door jamb. For example, sliding doors that are built in an OXXO configuration create a condition that is generally weaker than the adjacent intermediate verticals. Each door is expected to carry only a portion of the wind load that is applied to the unit. As the doors begin to deflect under these loads, the meeting stiles will pull away from each other. The only mechanical device used to keep the doors together are the locking hardware installed in the mating door stiles. Depending on the performance requirements, it may be necessary to install multiple locks. The performance of the meeting stile is thereby limited by the strength of the locks and not by the structural properties of the door stiles.